Tag: Houston Rockets

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: It doesn’t get easier Kings host Bucks tonight

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Houston Rockets guard Aaron Holiday (0) drives on the Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) and center Alex Len (25) in first half action at Golden 1 in Sacramento on Sun Mar 10, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Tony R:

#1 The Houston Rockets in the Sacramento King’s last game had Fred VanVleet who led in scoring with 22 points and it helped get a 112-104 win for the Rockets at Golden 1 in Sacramento.

#2 Despite the win the Rockets lost their leading scorer Alperen Sengun who left with a right knee and ankle injury.

#3 Sengun had a bad landing while defending the Kings Domantas Sabonis with a minute left in the game. Sengun was in immediate pain after landing and had to leave the floor in wheelchair.

#4 On defense the Kings had a hard time stopping the Rockets as seven Rocket players finished in double figures. The Kings remain in seventh place in the Western Conference they have won six of their last ten games. Do you look at the game against the Rockets as just one bad game or they’re starting struggle at this juncture.

#5 The Kings host the Milwaukee Bucks tonight at Golden 1. The Bucks are second in the Eastern Conference at 42-43 they’ve won seven of their last ten games. No doubt Milwaukee can be a handful how do you see tonight’s contest?

Tony Renteria does the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Rockets get one of their best road wins defeating Kings 112-104 however lose Sengun

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By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Sunday afternoon in Sacramento. The Kings welcomed in the Houston Rockets on Sunday. The Rockets were coming off a victory on the road in Portland on Friday, 123-107.

The Kings were coming off back-to-back wins against the Lakers on the road and the Spurs at home. The Kings defeated the Spurs 131-129 on Thursday night. It was a nail-biter game as the Kings won with a last-possession bucket. The Kings were set to take on the Rockets on Sunday at 3 PM PST as they looked to move to 12 games over .500. The Kings fell to the Rockets 112-104 on Sunday afternoon.

Game recap: In the first quarter, the Kings came out of the gate strong. They managed to jump to an early lead by outscoring the Rockets 30-23. Kings center Domantas Sabonis immediately impacted the game. Domas finished the quarter with eight points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Keegan Murray also started hot, scoring eight first-quarter points.

The Kings played well in the second quarter. However, the Rockets were able to make up a little ground in the game. The Rockets were able to make a run late in the second quarter to cut the Kings lead to 59-54.

The Rockets outscored the Kings 31-29 in the second quarter, partly thanks to Fred VanVleet. VanVleet hit two big three-pointers late in the quarter to bring the Rockets to within five points. Sabonis had a 14-point and 10-rebound double-double by halftime to lead the Kings.

In the third quarter, the game came to a screeching halt. The Kings offense completely disappeared in the third quarter as they had only scored seven points at 4:36 in the third. The Kings couldn’t buy a bucket, and the Rockets kept a steady offensive pace during the quarter.

The Kings were outscored by the Rockets 32-14 in the third to dig themselves a big hole. The Rockets would lead 86-73 heading into the fourth quarter. The Kings were shooting 4/22 on three-point attempts thus far in the game, which was the biggest issue. The Kings also had a bad stretch of turnovers that saw the Rockets extend their lead.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings fought, but ultimately, they came up short against the Rockets. It was another meltdown game for the Kings against an opponent they should have defeated. The Kings’ storyline of losing against bad teams has become a tired one this season, but it prevails as the central theme.

The Kings outscored the Rockets in the fourth quarter 31-26, but it was too little too late. The Kings fell to the Rockets 112-104. Leading the way in defeat for the Kings was Sabonis, who scored 25 points. VanVleet led the way in victory for the Rockets with 22 points. It is worth noting that with 30 seconds left in the game, an apparent knee injury. He was wheeled off the court in a wheelchair.

Up Next: The Kings will take on the Milwaukee Bucks inside Golden One Center in downtown Sacramento on Tue Mar 12. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings host Rockets Sunday at Golden 1

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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) celebrates with forward Domantas Sabonis (10) in the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Thu Mar 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The San Antonio Spurs (13-51) are one of the worse teams in the NBA yet you never how things will turn out on any given night such as the Sacramento Kings (37-26) who battled to last 7.7 seconds against the Spurs when the Kings Domanta Sabonis threw down the game winning basket in the Kings narrow 131-129 win on Thursday night.

#2 Sabonis led the Kings with 31 points on Thursday, Sabonis said that it looked ugly with one minute left in the game so he stepped up and fixed it with a winning basket.

#3 The Kings De’Aaron Fox scored 17 of 33 points in the fourth quarter of the game and ended up getting fouled out.

#4 One thing that held the Spurs back was they were without their leading scorer Victor Wembanyama who has a strained right ankle and is also expected to sit out against Golden State on Saturday in San Francisco.

#5 The Houston Rockets are next for the Kings. The Rockets (27-35) 12th place in the Western Conference. The Rockets have lost six of their ten games. But you never know the Spurs were struggling and gave the Kings fits do you see the same for the Rockets at Golden 1 on Sunday afternoon at 3:00pm PDT?

Join Jeremiah for the Sacramento Kings podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors get back in the win column down Rockets 121-116

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) lands on his back after making a three point shot against the Houston Rockets at Chase Center in San Francisco on Mon Nov 20, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (7-8) knew they would face a tough opponent, the Houston Rockets (6-6), on Monday night. Under coach Ime Udoka, the former Boston Celtic coach the Warriors beat in the 2022 finals, the Rockets have assembled a team hoping to make the playoffs this year.

The Rockets started two players that are six feet eleven inches tall—Rookie Jabari Smith and second-year player Alperen Sengun. Smith is 20 years old and is averaging 12.2 points per game. Sengun, from Turkey, is 21 years old and is averaging 20 points a game.

The Rockets added Dillon Brooks from the Memphis Grizzlies. Brooks is a tough customer and likes to play in the same style as the Warriors Draymond Green. Shooting Jalen Green is another young player. Green is 21 years old and puts 16 points on the board in every game.

The Rockets signed the veteran guard Fred VanVleet. VanVleet gave the Warriors fits in the 2019 NBA Finals when the Raptors won their first NBA Championship.

The Warriors were smarting from their sixth loss in a row as they were beaten in overtime by the OKC Thunder last Saturday night. The Warriors needed a win, which they got as they defeated the Rockets 121-116.

Both teams played well in the first quarter. Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 12 points in the period. Thompson made three threes and looked like his former self. The Warriors made six threes in the quarter. In addition, the Thompson’s three, Stephen Curry, Moses Moody, and Dario Saric each connected on a three. The Warriors finished the quarter leading by two, 29-27.

The Warriors continued to make three in the second quarter. They outscored the Rockets 34-26 to finish the first half leading 63-53. Thompson did not score in the quarter. Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Saric, and Jonathan Kuminga were instrumental in giving the Warriors the ten point advantage at the end of the first 24 minutes of action.

The teams played a very competitive third quarter. The Warriors won the period by a single point to increase the lead to 11, 92-81. The Warriors point guard, Chris Paul, helped by scoring ley buckets in the period. The Warriors knew the Rockets would not go away. They expected the Rocket’s onslaught in the fourth quarter and were up to the task. 

The Warriors increased the lead to 100-87 when Curry made another three. The Rockets came back but could not get closer than ten points. The Rockets cut the deficit to seven, but Saric made a bucket to increase the lead to nine, 117-108. The clock was not on the Rockets’ side. The Warriors held on to win, 121-116.

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors snapped their six-game losing streak and improved to 7-8. The Rockets lost their third straight and are now 6-6.

The Warriors had five players in double-figures. Curry led the Warriors with 32 points. Curry made five threes. Curry continued to make Warrior history. Curry has played more minutes in a Warrior uniform than any other player. Curry broke Nate Thurmond’s record for most minutes played by a Warrior.

Curry set another NBA mark as he made four or more threes in 14 consecutive games. Thompson scored 20 points for the first time this season. Thompson, like Curry, made five threes. Paul had a double-double with 15 points and 11 assists. Paul made three threes. Saric, coming off the bench, tallied 18 points. Saric also made three threes. Wiggins put 12 points on the board, and he made two threes.

The Warriors took 18 shots less than the Rockets. They were 47% from the floor, and as a team, the Warriors made 21 threes in 43 attempts. 

Alperen Sengun led the Rockets. The big man from the Turkish Republic had a double-double with 30 points and 13 rebounds. Sengun also had five assists, and he knocked down two threes. Sengun is making a name for himself in the NBA this year. Rookie Jabari Smit also had a double-double. Smith scored 17 and had ten rebounds. Dillon Brooks added 16, Jalen Green, 16, and VanVleet, ten. 

The Warriors bench outscored The Rockets’ bench 37-27. Saric was one of the reasons the Warriors won the game.

The Warriors meet the Suns in Phoenix on Wednesday night. The Suns will have all three of the stars Available. Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker will be looking to send the Warriors down to defeat. The game starts at 6 P.M.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors hope to snap losing streak tonight against Houston

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Oklahoma City Thunder guard  Vasilije Micic drives on the Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Nov 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Golden State Warriors (6-7) lost a real knuckle cracker against the Oklahoma City (8-4) Thunder Saturday night 130-123 in overtime.

#2 Andrew Wiggins had his season high game with 31 points and was the reason that the Warriors had a great chance to win this game.

#3 With 1.6 seconds left on the clock the Thunder’s Chet Holmgren hit an unlikely 25-foot three point shot to tie the game at 117 and drive this game into overtime.

#4 The Warriors were looking forward to ending their five game losing streak only to have it continued with the overtime loss.

#5 Monday night the Warriors will take on the Houston Rockets at Chase Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM PT.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors skid hits six; Golden State hosts Houston at Chase tonight

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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Vasilije Micic drives on the Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Nov 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Golden State Warriors (6-7) lost a real knuckle cracker against the Oklahoma City (8-4) Thunder Saturday night 130-123 in overtime.

#2 Andrew Wiggins had his season high game with 31 points and was the reason that the Warriors had a great chance to win this game.

#3 With 1.6 seconds left on the clock the Thunder’s Chet Holmgren hit an unlikely 25-foot three point shot to tie the game at 117 and drive this game into overtime.

#4 The Warriors were looking forward to ending their five game losing streak only to have it continued with the overtime loss.

#5 Monday night the Warriors will take on the Houston Rockets at Chase Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM PT.

Golden State Warriors podcasts can be heard with Barbara Mason at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Defeat Blazers 121-118; Monk and Sabonis lead Sac in scoring

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Guard Malik Monk (0) of the Sacramento Kings lets everyone know who the man is after scoring on the Portland Trailblazers forward Jerami Grant (9) at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Nov 8, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night. The Kings were coming off two games in Houston against the upstart Rockets. It was a disappointing show from the Kings on the road as they lost both games to the Rockets. The Kings were boat-raced in both games, losing 107-89 and 122-89.

It was a pathetic showing for the Kings in the Lone Star State as they looked to get back on track on Wednesday. The Kings were set to tip off against the Portland Trailblazers at 7 PM PST. The Kings snapped their losing streak of three games by beating the Blazers 121-118

In the first quarter, the Kings offense looked different than in previous games this season. Coach Mike Brown elected to start Keon Ellis over Davion Mitchell. The decision paid off early, as Keon gave the Kings solid minutes to open the game with stability. Overall, the Kings played well in the first quarter, scoring 34 points with help from an 11-point quarter from Domantas Sobonis. The Blazers scored 29 points in the quarter. 

In the second quarter, the Kings lost the lead. The Kings only scored 22 points in the second. On the other hand, the Blazers scored 31 points in the quarter to build a 60-56 lead over the Kings. Mike Brown was visibly frustrated with the Kings going into halftime. The Kings offense was suffering under missed open shots. If the Kings hoped to win, they needed to hit their open shots in the second half. 

In the third quarter, the Kings played better, but it wasn’t by much. The Kings outscored the Blazers 29-24 in the third quarter to regain the lead going into the game’s final quarter. The Kings leading scorer through three quarters was Domantas Sabonis, who had 21 points. The Blazers leading scorer was Jerami Grant, with 25 through three quarters. The score was 85-84 Kings going into the fourth quarter. 

In the fourth quarter, the Kings would play without enough intensity to finish the job. The Kings scored 26 points compared to the Blazers 27 points. The game would come to the end of regulation with the score 111-111. The Kings would need to finish the overtime job if they wanted to snap the losing streak. 

In overtime, the Kings got the job done! The Kings managed to squeak out the win over the Blazers in overtime, outscoring them 10-7. The King received a heroic performance from Malik Monk at the free throw line, crucial to the victory. The Kings leading scorer in victory was Domas Sabonis, who had 27 points. Jerami Grant led the way in defeat for the Blazers with 38 points. 

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday at 7 PM PST. The contest will count towards the NBA in-season tournament.

Kings Continue Slump Demolished By Rockets 122-97; Houston sweeps two game series

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Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (center) struggles with the basketball with the Sacramento Kings forwards Harrison Barnes (40) Keegan Murray (right) at the Toyota Center on Mon Nov 6, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

There are no words in Webster’s dictionary to describe how terrible this game went for the Sacramento Kings (2-4). It would seem that they are completely helpless without superstar De’Aaron Fox who remains out with the ankle injury.

It would also appear that there are no players that can step up in his absence. That does not bode well for this team. As this game reached the seven minute mark in the fourth quarter it could not have ended quickly enough for these guys. The final score was 122-97 Houston Rockets (3-3) at the Toyota Center in Houston in game 2 of the series.

Monday night the Kings continued to play without superstar De’Aaron Fox taking on the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. He was ruled out hours before tipoff missing his third game in a row. The Kings are missing everything that he brings to the court and are struggling.

The Kings lost to the Rockets on Saturday night, an 18 point loss 107-89, a very embarrassing loss. A big part of the Kings future was thought to be Keegan Murray but he has not shown up so far.

Murray finished the Saturday night game with the Rockets shooting for seven points and going 3-12. His shot is not falling and he is not delivering at all and needs to have more of an impact. Another player not carrying his load is the newly signed Sasha Vezenkov.

The excitement surrounding Vezenkov’s signing has now fallen flat when he scored nada in their last game. While Domantas Sabonis was not awful he was not at his usual best which is roughly 18 points per game.

With Fox still remaining out of action this team has to step up and Sabonis is a huge part of this. Their defense has been stale and they need to add another star to their core. As we have seen early in this season injury can play havoc with a team.

The Kings need Fox who is the heart of their offense. It is early in the season and not the worst time for a team to suffer injury, but that being said, Sacramento does not want to lose a third game in a row.

The opening quarter of Monday night’s game went very poorly for the Kings. They lost the first quarter 32-22. It really went sideways in the second quarter with the Rockets topping the Kings 35-20 taking a 67-42 lead into the locker room at the half. The first half of this game was a disaster for Sacramento but unfortunately the worst was still to come.

After three quarters the writing was pretty much on the wall. It was a horrific showing by the Kings. It could not have been any worse with some lackluster shooting and terrible defense allowing the Rockets to walk all over them.

The starters were MIA for the first three quarters. Harrison Barnes had three points after three quarters, Davion Mitchell had five, Domantas Sabonis with eight points. It was a nightmare. Even the energetic Malik Monk off the bench only managed five points. After three quarters Houston had a 95-60 lead in a monster embarrassment. It was like taking candy from a baby for Houston in this lopsided game.

The fourth quarter was more of the same and early in the final quarter the Rockets had taken a forty point lead 107-67. If you think that Saturday night’s loss was an embarrassment think again. The Kings did win the fourth quarter but this game was a done deal at half time. The Kings came around in the fourth quarter winning the quarter 37-25. The final was 122-97.

Wednesday night the Kings will take on the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden 1 Center. Hopefully the crowd can get this team energized and an even more importantly get Fox back on the court.

The Kings, of course, does not want to put Fox back on the court until he is completely ready. They cannot afford to risk further injury to Fox’s ankle. This team is going through some discouraging times and they need to pull it all together and come out the other side. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Kings Dismantled By Rockets 107-89; Sacramento and Houston match up for game 2 Monday night at the Toyota Center

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The Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (left) drives on the Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (right) at the Toyota Center in Houston in game 1 of the two game series on Sat Nov 4, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings had an opportunity in the second and third quarters of Saturday nights game despite the absence of De’Aaron Fox still out with an ankle injury. In fact they were down by three points mid-way through the fourth quarter. They were unable to contain the Rockets Dillon Brooks, in the later minutes of the final quarter, who sailed through the fourth quarter scoring 12 points beating the Kings 107-89.

Saturday night the Sacramento Kings (2-3) took on the Houston Rockets (2-3) at Toyota Center. The Kings played without their star Fox who was ruled out for a second game in a row with a moderate right ankle sprain. The injury occurred in the overtime win last Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers. It doesn’t stop there, the Kings is also without Trey Lyles. Lyles has not yet made his regular season debut after suffering a left calf strain in the preseason.

Playing without Fox made it difficult and the starting lineup had to step up in his absence. They certainly did exactly that in their last game against the Golden State Warriors losing in the final 0.2 seconds of the game by a single point 102-101.

Game recap: The Rockets smothered the Kings in the first 12 minutes of play 33-19. Sacramento did win the second quarter but still trailed at the half 59-53. The Kings did cut their deficit but still had some ground to make up.

Sacramento continued their bid in the third quarter winning it 15-12 and only trailed by three points going into the fourth quarter 71-68. The Rockets Dillon Brooks had an amazing fourth quarter as Houston beat the Kings badly in the final quarter 36-21 winning the game 107-89.

This was a real disappointment for Sacramento. They have had a very lukewarm start this season. They had a lot of trouble containing Brooks in this game who finished with 26 points, 12 of them coming in the fourth quarter. The Kings did pull to within three points with 8 1/2 minutes remaining when Malik Monk hit a shot from downtown. It was at this point that the Rockets went on a 10-2 run and they never looked back.

Monk finished with the high for the team with 18 points off the bench. The only starters who had double digits were Domantas Sabonis who had a double double with 11 points and 15 rebounds and Harrison Barnes who finished with 13 points. Keegan Murray, Davion Mitchell and Kevin Huerter had a very quiet night.

The Kings will get another shot at the Rockets hoping to even the score on Monday night with tipoff scheduled for 5:00 PM PST at the Toyota Center in Houston. This will be game 2 of this two game series.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings and Warriors have seen each other 11 times out of their last 17 games

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Sacramento Kings guard Colby Jones (right) drives on Golden State Warriors forward Dario Saric (left) and forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Nov 3 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 The Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings have met 11 times including pre season games in their last 17 meetings. That gives them enough time to know each other.

#2 Jeremiah Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that amount of meetings has to be an NBA record. It gave each team familiarity resulting in a one point win for Golden State on Wednesday night at Chase Center 102-101.

#3 Golden State’s Klay Thompson hit a 17 foot shot with less than a second remaining to win the game. Jeremiah talk about that shot by Thompson it was a tough loss for the Kings as they played their hearts out as described by Kings head coach Mike Brown.

#4 Jeremiah, with the lose the Kings drop to 2-2 getting great offensive production from Domantas Sobonis who led Sacramento with 23 points. Sobonis has been a difference for the Kings in crucial games.

#5 Kings will go back to the drawing board and face the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center in Houston on Sat Nov 4 which will be the first of a two game series the other game on Mon Nov 6. The Rockets won their last game defeating the Charlotte Hornets 128-119.

Join Jeremiah Salmonson for the Kings podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com